Combined headrest and emergency kit



JuEy 1, I46. F. I. STEELE 2,404,109

COMBINED HEADREST AND EMERGENCY KIT Filed Jan. 29, 1943 M I I Z A) x jcalm ::M E GRENADE I L3 1 INVENTOR l FREDERICK I. STEELE 3 ATTORNEY I l1 I l Patented July 16, 1946 Frederick I. Steele, Snyder, N. Y.,assignor to Curtiss-Wright Corporation, a corporation of DelawareApplication January 29, 1943, Serial No. 474,027

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to emergencykits and more particularly to theconstruction of the same and to the manner of releasably securing thesame on a supporting structure.

In airplanes, emergency kits including emergency supplies which willlend comfort and relief toaviators who have had to bail out of theirairplanes, need to be handy and within easy grasp of the aviator. It isalso necessary to conserve the space within airplanes and to assemblesuch auxiliary equipment within the airplane in such location as not tointerfere with the movement of the men through the airplane, and at thesame time be easily accessible to them.

Hence, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide anemergency kit with means wherein the same can be readily released fromits supporting structure and, at the same time, be readily available tothe aviator.

, It is another object to provide an emergency kit with buoyant materialwhich will sustain the kit afloat on the water, and with such materialas is soft enough to serve as a rest against which the aviators head canrest while operating the airplane.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a combinedemergency kit and head. rest for airplanes.

According to the present invention the emergency kit is constructed of acasing partially filled with emergency supplies and finally filled witha soft and buoyant material. This head rest has means for releasablyattaching the same to the body of the airplane. The entire kit is ofsuch construction and dimension as to be easily located in verticalalignment with the aviators seat so that it may be used as a head restand at the same time, is within easy reach of the aviator and out of theway so a not to interfere with movement of the aviator within theairplane.

In order to facilitate the release of the emergency kit from thestructure of the airplane, and at the same time provide a handling meansfor the kit such as to allow the aviator on leavin the airplane tolocate the kit over hisshoulder, there is provided a strap normallyretained flat over the kit and having it portions folded into a locationbetween the kit and the supporting structure. .As the strap is pulled,it is unfolded and as the slack in the folds is taken up, sulficientshock will be given to the releasing means such that its release fromits supporting structure is'facilitated.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the of, of the emergency kit and of thesupporting structure illustrating its connection with the lat- 1361'.

Fig. 4 is an illustrative view showing the aviators arm as it is beinginserted through the strap and with the kit just after it has beenreleased from the supporting structure.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of the base portion of thekit and illustrating the manner in which the straps are folded adjacentto the same and how the folds themselves are temporarily secured to eachother. i

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken along the line 6li andlooking in the direction of the arrows thereof of Fig. 5.

Referring now particularly to Fig 1, there is shown a supportingstructure ID of an airplane, which may be the fuselage of the same,which has a transversely extended bulk head I I from which there extendsdownwardly supporting brace l2 for the aviators seat I 3. This aviatorsseat I3 is of the bucket type in the bottom of which may be located theaviators parachute and life raft, upon which the aviator sits. Extendingvertically from the seat portion is a back portion M which is connectedto the support l2 by vertically spaced sleeve connection I5. On the bulkhead II above the seat, is an emergency kit 20 having the features ofthe present invention and arranged to be in alignment with the aviatorshead so as to provide a head rest, and at the. same time be located in aposition wherein it is readily accessible to him should he have to leavethe airplane on a moments notice. The kit thus serves a dual purpose andspace within the airplane is thereby conserved.

Referringnow particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, there is shown the emergencykit per se. This kit includes a number of supply containers 2|, all ofwhich are to be opened for the specific purpose indicated by the nameson the same. The contents thereof are packed in a most conservativemanner; and likewise the containers themselves are packed in a mostconservative manner within a casing 22 having a base portion '23.

This casing of the base portion is preferably made of soft pliablematerial such as of canvas and the like, and particularly of suchmaterial as will not add excessively to the weight of the airplane andwhich, at the same time will cause the kit to float on the water. Thecontainers 2| are seated flush against the base portion 23 to partiallyfill the casing 22. Over these containers 2| and to finally fill thecasing 22, there is distributed a soft and floatable material 23, suchas. loose pieces of cork, kapok, or the like, or possibly an aircontainer inflated 'toset and fit about the containers 2| and to finallyfill the casing 22 so that there is a forward protrusion thereof whichthe aviator may use as a head rest.

Extensions of the upper and lower ends of the base portion of the casing'22 carry series of grommets 24, by means of which the emergency kit isconnected by strings 25 to the bulk head structure I I. Any number ofthese grommets and strings may be used forthis purpose. As shown in Fig.4 an opening is provided in the side of thecasing which isclosed by aslide fastener 26. Through this opening" the emergency kit is loaded andunloaded.

Also through the base portion 23 there extends openings 21 and 28located respectively at the top and bottom of the kit through which theends of a strap 29 extend andconnect respectively to the base portion 23as indicated respectively at 30 and 3i. The connection of theends ofthis strap at the base portion is preferably made by sewing the same tothe base portion with heavy thread.

It should be noted particularly as shown in Fig. 3, that the strap liesflat over-the expanded casing 22 conforming with the shape thereof and Ithat its; loose portions are folded under thebase portion and thereretained by a breakable string 32.

The number of folds of the strap of each side of the kit is immaterial,butit is preferable that the strap at one end be folded at least twiceand in such a manner that its last fold is locatedtoward the center ofthekit so that it can be connected by the breakable string 32 tothe lastfold, of the strap at its other end at the opposite side of the kit.This string 32 will temporarily maintain the strap in its foldedcondition about the kit, whereby the kit can be assembled and the strappreferably retained in place prior to its connection of the kit with thebulk head H. V

Whenit is necessary for the aviator to remove the kit, his arm isslipped underneath the portion of the strap which extends over theforward portion of the casing in a manner as indicated at 33. As this isdone, the string 32 is immediately broken and the folded portions of thestrap are released. As he continues to slide the strap over his arm andonto his shoulder, and with his body moving toward the opening in theairplane, the shock incident to the taking up of the slack in the strapis sufficient to readily and easily snap the strings 25 of the kit 20with the bulk head H, so that the kit becomes thereby separated fromthe, bulk head H and can leave theplane with the aviator. By having sucha strap by which the aviator can carry the emergency kit on his back,his hands are left free for the manipulation of parachute ropes on hisdescent to the earth. Should he land in water he will be given somebuoyancy by the emergency kit and should 4 the emergency kit beseparated from him, the same will sustain itself on the water so that hemay reach the same when it becomes possible for him to do so.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided a novel emergencykit arrangement which can be readily and easily separated from itssupporting structure and which is so constructed that it can serve as ahead rest for the aviator.

' While various changes may be made in the detailed construction andarrangement of the kit upon the airplane, it shall be understood thatsuch changesshall be within the spirit and scope I of the presentinvention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim. as my invention:

1. In an emergency kit, a casing, emergency supplies packed within thecasing, means for releasably securing the casing to a supportingstructure, a flexible strap having its two ends respectively connectedto the casing at spaced points thereon to allow for the passage of apersons arm under the same, said strap being folded adjacent itsopposite end to lie flat over the casing and to take up its slack, meansfor releasably retaining the strap in its folded con. dition, wherebywhen the emergency kit is to be separated from its supporting structurethe strap can be extended to allow the kit to be put. over the personsarm and to give sufiicient shock upon taking up slack as to aid in therelease of the kit from its supporting structure.

2. A combination kit and headrest including a casing, emergency suppliesin said casing, a.

filler material covering said supplies and" providing. a padded areahaving apredetermined contour, means for releasably securing said kit toa structural support, a strap having terminal, portions which areconnected to said kit and which are adapted to be folded in the regionof said terminal portions, and means for releasably securing the foldedportions or said strap against unfolding thereby to cause anintermediate, exposed portion of said strap to. fit against, andconformably engage, said padded area, said first. and second mentionedmeans being releasable. in an order reversed to that named when theintermediate, exposed portion of said strap is. displaced outwardly withrespect to, said normally engaged padded area.

3 A combination kit. and headrest including a casing having a back,means for releasably se curing said back to a supporting structure,emergency-supplies which fit against the. inside. of said. back, afillermaterial covering said supplies and providing a padded, front areahaving a. predetermined contour, a strap having terminal portions whichare. connected to said kit and which are adapted to be. folded in theregion of said terminal portions,v and means for releasably securing thefoldedportions of said strap againstunfolding adjacent the outer side ofsaid back, thereby to cause an intermediate, exposed portion of saidstrap to fit against, and conformably engage, said padded area, saidfirst and second mentioned meansv being releasable in an order reversedto that named when the intermediate,

